The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-29
questions. The Convention itself may
be trusted for the most emphatic express
sion of temperance sentiment

tbe Committee on Nominations be in
structed to present to the Convention the
names Of Church Congress Commission
of seven, OF which Commission the Pres
ident of this Convention shall be Chair
man; the duty of said Commission being
to arrange for the holding of Church
Congress in the year 1887, at some cen
trail or convenient place to be decided
upon by the Commission. The work Of
this Church Congress shall be the free
discussion OF important questions in eth
ics, sociology, theology and philosophy
which Resolution was referred to the
Board of Trustees.
(2) "Resolyed, That the Board of Trus-
tees be instructed TO give careful consid-
GRAFTON to the following propositions and
to report their conclusions at the next ses-
sion of this Convention: l. That the Con-
stitution, By laws and Rules OF Order OF
this Convention be so altered that its ees-
sions may be made biennial, instead OF
annual; and that the administration OF it's
affairs may be so changed that it will
harmonic with the different order. 2.
That once in two years there shall be
held church Congress under the au-
spices of the Board of Trustees" which
resolution was adopted.
Considering first the proposition for
Biennial Sessions: The matter has been
several times before the Convention, and
received unfavorable action. In 1870, at
the Centenary Session at Gloucester, the
Committee on the Revision of the Con-
stitutiop, consisting of Rev. DR.. Brooks,
Rev. Messrs. Rugg and Cantwell, and
Messrs. Joy and w. T. Pakrer, reported a
provision for biennial sessions; but this
was amended by making the sessions an
nual. At the session Of 1874 in New
York, proposal to change was referred
to a committee which reported adversely;
but action on the report was deferred.
At Lynn, in 1875, the whole subject was
indefinitely postponed. At Chicago, in
1877, a motion for change was referred
to q Committee consisting of Rev. Drs.
Capen and Weaver, Rev. M. Fluhrer, and
Messrs. Busch and Grant. The Com
mittee reported in favor of triennial
sessions. An effort to substitute "bien-
NAL" for "triennial" failed, and the rec
ommendation of the Committee was re-
jected.
The time has now come, however,
when the Convention may consider the
change advisable. 1t has become evil
dent that the annual sessions are too
brief to permit the proper consideration
of the business which necessarily comes
before the Convention. 1t appears to be
necessary, not by any provision OF the
laws, but by custom stronger than law,
10 close the sessions at noon on Friday,
by which time large share of the repre-
sentatives desire to depart homeward.
Nor can the topics which are supposed
to be interesting and profitable to our
public find adequate treatment, because
of the limited opportunity given to their
discussion. The cost OF travel is often
very great, considering the brevity Of
the sessions. The cost of 81 tertsinment
is 50 great, owing to changes in the life
of our cities, as to be burdeDsome il often
repeated. And aswe may say without inn
propriety, that the action of the Board Of
Trustees has come to be generally satis-
factory, and the policy and system of &C.
counts kept by the officers OF the Con
vention have become settled and approx
ed, it would seem that less frequent ses-
sions would suffice. Other churches with
more complex interests find biennial,
triennial, quadrennial sessions sufficient
for their general bodies. We believe
that biennial sessions, to occupy week
or more, If neces sary would better serve
the ir terests of our Church and remedy
the hurry which is now unavoidable. We
might make fuller discussions of the
topics which should be most profitable to
those in attendance.
We recommend the following action:
RESOLVED, That the Constitution of the
General Convention be amended in Article
", by striking out the word annually" and
inserting the words "biennially, from and
after the year 1885,"
In case of the adoption of this amend
ment, we recommend the following mod
ification OF the Bylaws:
RESOLVED, That Article l., of the Bylaws
be amended by adding to Section 5, as the
last paragraph but one, SIN years interven-
ing between the sessions of the Convention,
the Board of Trustees shall, during the
month of October, prepare and publish
financial statement for the year ending on
the first of that month; and the same shall be
presented and published as part of their BIZ
ennial Report.
".
Concerning the mat or of Church Con-
crosses:
We dismiss the first Resolution above
recited, proposing church Congress in
1887, with the suggestion that any action
at this time would be too late for the